This blog is based in Northeast Ohio, what was "La Nation du Chat," the Cat Nation, as the French-Canadian furtraders called the Land of the Erie Indians. The blog will touch on many issues: nature, the environment, literature, poetry, society, and politics. Around here we think of the Lake Erie shoreline as the North Coast of the United States--a Frontier in the midst of the Rust Belt.

Thursday, August 18, 2016

From 1962-66, I attended an all-boys Catholic high school, St. Joe's in Cleveland (2000 boys). And then in 1966 I went on to an all-male Catholic college, the University of Notre Dame (7000 guys, no girls). This is the exotic, strange, and often lonesome environment in which I was educated.

Devil with the Blue
Dress On . . .

(University of Notre Dame, 1966-67)

played over and over at Notre
Dame’s Rathskeller,

Basement of the Student Center, Good Golly Miss Molly,

Only place on campus where you might, but probably not,

Meet and dance with a girl, while you’re

Grooving on a Sunday Afternoon,

And smelling their sweet perfume,

Wishing they would dance with you.

Tomorrow will be Monday, Monday,

So Reach Out I’ll Be There—

And I will Cherish you like a thirsty man in the desert
cherishes water.

Celebrant: As
people of faith, we pray now for ourselves and for all those throughout the
world who are in need of God’s generous mercy.

For our church leaders and for all who govern and hold
authority in the nations of the world—that their work may reflect your
will in promoting justice and peace.We
pray to the Lord.

For all those suffering in regions devastated by wildfires
and floods—and for the men and women who work to alleviate their
suffering.We pray to the Lord.

For our parish ministries; for those who selflessly
volunteer their time and for the people they serve.Help each one of us to discern Your call to
stewardship—may Your presence in our lives be an impetus to “cross the narrow
gate” in the service of others.We pray
to the Lord.

For students and teachers beginning this new school year, that
the Spirit of God may grant them the gifts of self-discipline, wisdom, and
understanding.We pray to the Lord.

Today, as we celebrate Mary as our Patroness, may her steadfast
presence always serve as a sign of hope and a source of unity and peace for all
of us at St. Mary.We pray to the Lord.

And for those for whom this Mass is offered [name them]. We
pray to the Lord.

With the prayers of Mary, we place our own private
intentions in silence before our loving Lord.[allow for silence. . .].We pray
to the Lord.

Celebrant:Merciful God, through the power of your
Spirit, help us to serve you with faith and fidelity, to be for others what
Jesus is for us: pardon and peace, new life and blessing. We ask this in the
name of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God,
forever and ever.Amen.

Friday, August 12, 2016

My friend Dorothy Chao, whom I first knew in Berea, Kentucky, now lives near Tucson, Arizona with her husband Gene. She and some of her friends try to care for the migrants from Mexico, Central America, and South America who risk everything trying to cross the Sonoran Desert. Sometimes they go out into the desert to pray at the graves of the ones who didn't make it. Some of the names of the migrants who die are unknown, "Desconcocida." Here is Dorothy's poem:

DESCONOCIDA

By Dorothy
Chao

Now—

In the dark

I lie on my mat in the desert—

Beautiful, savage desert.

Blowing wind, rustling mesquite—

What woke me?

Moving in the scrub near our camp

Flashes of light and a night bird
cry.

Desconocida—

Found in the desert today

Wereyou a daughter, sister, mother, wife?

Did you think of your family when
you died?

Did you think of your home

In Mexico, Guatemala, Colombia, Peru?

Did you see the flowers, the
stars

That I did?

Or did the burning thirst,

The heat of the day

The chill of the night

Call forth the savage side of the
desert only?

Did the Border Patrol come with
the helicopter

Bouncing and buzzing above you
like an angry bee,

And scatter your group on the
rocky ground below

Like leaves before the dry desert
wind?

Were you pulled along through the
cactus by another

Till you could go no further

Then sacrificed—

Left behind for the survival of
the group?

Did you grieve the separation
from the others

Regret words spoken, unspoken,

Did you wish for the physical
closeness of another human

As you died?

Did you see the town lights from
your hiding place

Here in a desert wash?

Did your terror keep you still

Even as dehydration and exposure
did their work?

Restless spirit,

Victim of global forces beyond
your control,

Forgive my complicity!

Come sit with me thru the dark of
this night.

Baptize me with your spirit,

Help me to carry your voice
forward,

Speak through me

So that neither of our lives will
be in vain!

Dorothy's poem and the work of "Pilgrimage of Remembrance" (click here for their blog) remind me of the song "Deportee (Plane Wreck at Los Gatos)," written by Woody Guthrie back in 1948. That song was written partly because the newspapers didn't name the victims--they were all anonymous, unnamed--just deportees. Here's Woody's son Arlo singing that song some 50 years after the "Plane Wreck at Los Gatos":

Thursday, August 11, 2016

Ellen McHugh wrote these petitions for St. Mary's church in Painesville, Ohio:

Prayer of the
Faithful for August 14th, 2016

20th Sunday in
Ordinary Time

Celebrant: As
people of faith, we pray now for ourselves and for all those throughout the
world who are in need of God’s generous mercy.

For the universal Church celebrating the Feast of the
Assumption: We pray that Our Lady’s intercession may protect us—and all people—from
division and discord, and direct our hearts into the ways of peace and justice.We pray to the Lord.

For those who govern our nations and make laws: for the
wisdom and courage to honor the dignity of all human life from conception until
death. We pray to the Lord.

That during this Jubilee Year of Mercy, we recognize mercy as
the bridge that connects God and man, opening our hearts to the hope of being
loved forever despite our sinfulness. We pray to the Lord.

For our parish ministries; for those who selflessly
volunteer their time and for the people they serve.Help each one of us, Lord, to discern your
call to stewardship—may the presence of Jesus in our lives be for us, as for
Mary, an impetus to help others.We pray
to the Lord.

When our faith falters, help us to be encouraged by St. Paul’s
words today, “to keep our eyes fixed on Jesus,” to set aside the sin and
brokenness that divides us and bring peace to our hearts, our homes, and our
world. We pray to the Lord.

And for those for whom this Mass is offered [name them]. We
pray to the Lord.

Let us pause now and silently offer to the Father our own
particular intentions [allow for silence. . .].We pray to the Lord.

Celebrant:Merciful God, through the power of your
Spirit, help us to serve you faithfully, to be for others what Jesus is for us:
pardon and peace, new life and blessing. We ask this in the name of your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and
ever.Amen.

Celebrant: As people of faith, we pray now for ourselves and for all those throughout the
world who are in need of God’s generous mercy.

For our Holy Father Pope
Francis—for our bishops, priests, and deacons to whom you have entrusted with
much; inspire and sustain them to be faithful stewards of your will on Earth.
We pray to the Lord.

For all who govern and hold authority in the nationsof the world; that their work may reflect your will in promoting justice and
peace. We pray to the Lord.

For the sick and for all who suffer—for migrants
and refugees and all who are in danger; that they maybe
relieved and protected. We pray to the Lord.

For all those who work
to end violations of human dignity, who give voice to those who go unheard, who
help those who are most vulnerable.We
pray to the Lord.

For all of
us at St. Mary—and for our diocesan family: May our joyful and prayerful gathering
at the Fest renew our commitment to put our faith and hope in You, to be agents
of peace, defenders of life, and advocates of mercy.We pray to the Lord.

And for those for whom
this Mass is offered [name them]. We pray to the Lord.

Let us pause now and silently offer to the Father our own particular
intentions [allow for silence. . .].We
pray to the Lord.

Celebrant: Merciful
God, through the power of
your Spirit, help us to serve you faithfully, to be for others what Jesus is
for us: pardon and peace, new life and blessing. We ask this in the name of
your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever
and ever. Amen.